Matt Fish gets the better of Fleetwood's Alex Marrow. Picture: Barry Goodwin

Myles Weston came off the bench to rescue a point for Gillingham at Priestfield on Saturday.

The Gills conceded twice in eight first-half minutes as Junior Brown and Alan Goodall put Fleetwood ahead, but Charlie Lee halved the deficit late in the half.

It was all-square when substitute Weston fired home.

Gills boss Martin Allen unusually named an unchanged 11, keeping faith with the side which beat Rotherham the week before.

But Allen and a near-capacity crowd weren’t rewarded for their faith in the first 45 minutes as Fleetwood bossed proceedings.

A long ball forward from David Ball unlocked Gillingham’s defence with 20 minutes gone and Brown was on hand from close-range to slide past Stuart Nelson.

It wasn’t long before the Gills conceded again. A 28th-minute corner was delivered into the box by Barry Nicholson and Goddall powered the ball home with a header.

The Gills had barely had a sniff at goal themselves and their first real effort didn’t arrive until the 36th minute, when a knock-down from Deon Burton was put the wrong side of the post by Romain Vincelot.

But the Gills got a crucial goal on 42 minutes, with their first attempt on target of the half, as Lee was on hand at the far post to turn the ball home following Charlie Allen’s corner.

The Gills could have had an equaliser, through Vincelot, but Fleetwood’s Goodall made a great block from a powerful shot.

Allen made a change at the break with Weston replacing Deon Burton in attack.

It was a cross from Weston that almost set up Danny Kedwell, but he was surrounded by Fleetwood defenders and was unable to get a shot away on goal.

The second half was certainly a lot livelier, but Fleetwood had chances themselves and Nelson breathed a sigh of relief when Steven Gillespie shot wide after robbing the keeper of the ball just past the hour.

Gillingham had also seen opportunities come and go, with Vincelot heading a corner over and Kedwell cracking a shot wide.

Super-sub Weston levelled the scores with 65 minutes gone when the ball ran through to him and he turned before planting the shot beyond keeper Scott Davies.

The Gills were a shadow of the team from the first 45 minutes but Fleetwood were defending resolutely. Kedwell put a header narrowly wide in stoppage time as Gills had to settle for a point.

Gillingham: Nelson, Fish, Martin, Barrett, Frampton, Payne, Allen (Strevens 90mins), Vincelot, Lee (Montrose 87mins), Burton (Weston 46mins), Kedwell. Subs not used: Forecast, Davies, Jackman, Birchall.

Fleetwood: Davies, Beeley, Howell, Milligan (Johnson 64mins), Nicholson, Brown, Goodall, Gillespie (McGuire 76mins), Atkinson, Ball (Titchiner 87mins), Marrow. Subs not used: McNulty, Maxwell, Barkhuizen, Obeng.

Attendance: 8,571.